Fade to black
by Gothic984
Summary: Lucas starts to focus on Caleb's new found darkness, while Gail tries to avoid wedding planning.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories and follows on from The Family Business.

It was a bright Spring Friday afternoon in Trinity South Carolina. Children were scattered throughout the parks, excited that there was no more school until Monday and weekday work folk were preparing for the end of their shifts.

Lucas Buck sat patiently in his navy blue Crown Victoria, watching his town folk going on with their usual routines. He did not have the luxury of a simple life, especially now that he was no longer alone in this world and he had so many different characters to appease.

He reflected on the recent turn of events and the fact that his eldest had finally given in to his lineage. That would have provided him with so much pride and joy previously, had he not attempted to hurt his soul mate for the second time.

Now, had Gail have been the same person she was when she came to Trinity, there would be nothing to be concerned about. Lucas had always been able to turn woman to his favor, it was a gift he had been blessed with since birth. Although she would have taken a little more effort, due to her intelligence and morals, he would have been able to convince her that there was nothing wrong with Caleb; however, the Gail of today was different now, she was something from another time that they had both shared and although that excited him, it meant she was unpredictable.

It was obvious Gail was keeping her cards close to her chest, she was acting as if everything was normal; however, every now and again he would catch a conniving glint in her eyes, which got his back up. This was all part of the game and he never thought he would find someone who would play his adversary so well.

Harvard stepped up previously and their old exchanges had provided him with some entertainment. The man tried his best, which Lucas respected; however, he was ultimately taken down by his need to protect people. Angela had really done a number on him and the good Doctor has never been the same since.

Billy Peele was another challenger, he did not have the same fight in him as Matt and his problem was his need to be accepted, much like Selena. Lucas had him now and all it took was a little friendly attention. The thought amused him and he let out a small laugh, when he considered how alike Billy and Selena were with their need for compansionship.

Lucas had overlooked the other player on the board, seeing her as nothing more than a challenge to bed. The Emory's had always been around in the town, they were one of the founding families and had played a big part in making Trinity what it was. Throughout the generations they had gone from keeping to themselves, to outright challenging him. Peter was a thorn in his side for many years, the man was so consumed with his hatred for him that he allowed his wife to stray with Gage Temple.

When the opportunity came to wipe them out, Lucas was on hand to take it. Gage was easily led, anything to get his love Christine all to himself once and for all. It had been a bonus when she ended up trapped in that building too, not that Lucas had cared either way how her fate played out at the time. Had Christine have still been alive, things would have been different with her daughter and he could not have had that. Abe had taken it hard when Lucas had arranged for the girl to be placed into the care system out of state; however, it had been the right decision and his instincts never failed him.

Gail had to experience life on her own, it may have been traumatic and hard for her; however, her trials and tribulations had opened her up to discovering the dark side of herself, which had been buried deep down for so long. Without that mystery deep within her, she would never returned to Trinity and may have just accepted a mundane fate. Luckily for him his love had returned and not only did she turn out to be a fine carer for his eldest, which he was initially unwilling to accept, she had proven she was well worth the effort.

The problem he had now was that the real training for Caleb had begun and she would not like the test subject he had chosen. He had no doubt that if she found out, there would be hell to pay; however, he had to choose Caleb's development over her inevitable feelings of betrayal and he would not back down now.

The car door opened and Caleb quickly jumped into the front passenger side. He noticed Lucas appeared deep in thought and waited a few moments, to give his Father chance to come back to him.

'What did you find?' Lucas asked irritably, attempting to shake the strange feeling that had come over him when he thought of going behind Gail's back.

Caleb regarded Lucas curiously for a moment, then shrugged. 'She's sat at her desk just workin''

'Was Gail there?' Lucas asked, as he turned on the engine and pulled out into the road.

'Nah, but Merly was...I didn't want her to see me so I just came back'

'Good call, we don't want your sister gettin' involved in this' Lucas nodded and turned onto the main road.

'No sir...' Caleb shook his head and stared out of the window at the passing Stores, '...What do we do now?'

'We wait...' Lucas advised, then thought for a moment and let out a small laugh. '...You know the best pastime for waitin' don't you?'

Caleb turned towards his Father and smiled. 'You're takin' me fishin'?'

'Why not? It'll give us some alone time to consider our next move' he smiled, then headed towards Johnson's Bridge.

* * *

Gail knelt down in Abe's backyard, pulling out the weeds threatening his rose bushes. She had been experiencing a wave of unease over the past week, which caused her to suspect something was going on with Caleb and Lucas. When she was ready, she would find out what they were up; however, she had chosen to take a step back and bide her time, providing them with a false sense of security.

Right now Gail was focused on Abe, his mood appeared to be low recently and he seemed more tired than he used to be. She wanted to ensure that he was alright; therefore, she had been making excuses to visit him here more often, knowing that seeing her and Luke always brightened him up.

'You really shouldn't be down there on your knees Rosie, you'll be a Buck soon and you'll be expected to act in a certain way' Abe informed her, as he rocked Luke gently in his arms.

'You mean getting servants to perform my daily tasks? I couldn't think of anything worse than having someone hang off my every order' Gail laughed and continued to pull at the weeds.

Abe smiled, then laughed when he saw Luke mirror him. He had to admit that he had been sceptical about how this little boy would turn out, being Lucas' son and all; however, so far he appeared to be the vision of pureness and Abe was happy he had not caused his Rosie much bother. 'Say what you will now but when the inevitable happens, all eyes will be on you each minute of every day' he warned.

Gail did not want to talk about this right now. She knew her freedom would be gone as soon as she uttered those vows; therefore, she was attempting to stall the wedding, until she could figure a way out of this. Having Abe state her fears out loud was not helping the situation and she was beginning to feel frustrated. 'You think I need you to state the obvious Uncle? I'm fully aware of what it all means and I'm working on it, now be quiet and keep your attention on Luke' she ordered, in a harsher tone than she had intended.

Abe narrowed his eyes at her, then looked down at Luke sourly. He was only trying to help and he did not appreciate her tone.

Gail continued pulling at the weeds for a few moments, then got up when Abe's silence became too much. 'I didn't mean to snap at you, I know you're only looking out for me' she smiled warmly, as she approached and knelt down in front of Abe.

Abe stared at her irritably for a moment, then his smile returned. 'I don't wanna upset you, but you have to be aware of what you agreed to...I don't want you goin' in to this with your eyes closed'

Gail let out a long sigh and placed her hands tenderly on his knees. 'I'm fully aware of what I agreed to, just like I'm aware that you know exactly what he's done over the years and have condoned it'

Abe turned away from her judgemental stare and looked at his roses. 'You're doin' a good job with them, you should let me make it up to you' he advised, then smiled down at Luke.

Gail let out a small laugh and shook her head. 'You can make it up to me by giving me something to go on' she smiled sweetly.

Abe looked into her eyes confused. 'I thought you'd given up on all that stuff...You're the Mother of his child'

'I'm still me and if I was to find evidence of something untoward, that may benefit me with my upcoming situation' she advised.

Abe knew Gail and that being tied down to Lucas or any other man was not her version of a happy ending. It was her natural instinct to attempt to find something to get her out of being trapped and he could not blame her for trying. 'You know I won't betray my oldest living friend Gail. You made your choice here' he sighed.

Gail rolled her eyes and stood up, she knew by the fact that he used her actual name that he was serious and could not help her; therefore, she returned to her spot by the bushes. 'Well alright then, but you have no right to comment on my situation when you're choosing his side over mine' she called back to him and started to pull at the weeds again.

* * *

Lucas sat with Caleb and watched as he focused on his fishing line. He had expected to go over what the boy wanted to do next with the Christie situation; however, Caleb's attention was fixed firmly on fishing. This did not bother Lucas, it was nice to see his boy relaxed for a change. Caleb had been so concerned with Christie and the darkness within him that he had stopped having fun.

'Whatcha lookin' at me for? Have I got somethin' on my back?' Caleb asked, sensing Lucas' eyes on him.

'Not at all...' Lucas laughed, '...I was just thinkin' about how comfortable you are in this pastime'

Caleb smiled and glanced at Lucas over his shoulder. 'I ain't got no-one botherin' me here, so why wouldn't I be?'

Before Lucas had a chance to answer, Ben approached with Ben Jr and Billy by his side. 'The quiet may not last much longer son' he advised, then stood up to meet the group. 'You decide to spend your free time with this reprobate when I give you the day off Benji?' Lucas asked sarcastically, as he glanced towards Billy.

'Beats him spending the time with a sociopath like you' Billy smiled, then pulled a chair up beside Lucas'.

Ben watched the pair for a moment, it was strange that they were friends and the insulting banter they had with each other always made him uncomfortable.

'Don't be so sensitive Ben and grab a chair' Lucas said, as he sat back down and winked at Ben Jr.

Ben took a seat on the other side of Lucas, when Caleb moved over. He nodded to Ben Jr to join Caleb and leaned back in the chair, enjoying the warm weather. 'I appreciate you letting me finish early to see my boy Lucas'

Lucas smiled and nodded knowingly, then turned his attention towards Billy. 'What's gotten you outta work early?' he asked curiously.

Billy reached into the cooler he had brought along and opened a beer, then handed it to Lucas. 'I'm bored and girlfriend free for a few hours, thought I'd tag along with Ben for some entertainment' he shrugged, then routed in the cooler for a beer.

Lucas laughed and shook his head. 'If you're lookin' for entertainment friend, Ben ain't gonna give you that'

Billy smiled, sensing Lucas' mischievous side was close to showing itself. 'Well since my other friend got himself a family, he certainly ain't up for anything anymore...At least Ben ain't under the thumb' he mocked and laughed at the look of irritation he got.

'You think that's what I am friend?...' Lucas said getting up, '...Caleb, you alright with Ben for a few hours?'

Caleb turned towards Lucas and nodded. 'I got Ben Jr and a fishin' rod, I'll be just fine' he smiled.

Lucas smiled appreciatively at his son, then turned his attention towards Billy. 'Alright Billy-boy, let's get outta here and I'll show you how under the thumb I really am'

Billy did not hesitate and jumped up from his seated position, then followed Lucas down the pier. He knew he should not goad this man; however, it had been a while since they had been out together and their nights out always ended up with a surprise.

* * *

Selena sat on the Pier with a cup of coffee, staring into the calm water before her. She was not usually a fan of being on her own, which had been the case since she had helped Gail screw over her best friend; however, she was enjoying the calmness of the water and it reminded her of a better time, when her Father used to sit with her by the River when she was a little girl.

Although she had accepted long ago that her past actions had destroyed any chance of her ever being close to her Father, she missed him dearly now that he was gone and it was hard knowing she would never have a chance to make amends with him. She was not naive and suspected his death had been part of Lucas' game, she did not think he had done anything directly; however, she believed the blame lay with him.

She loved Lucas, there was no denying that. Her devotion and loyalty had been unwavering, until he discarded her for Gail. She was still bitter over how that all played out and if she had the opportunity to remove the object of his affection she would take it without hesitation; however, she knew that time had passed and now she had been discarded completed by the both of them.

Selena took a long sip of her coffee, then let out a small laugh at the way her life had turned out. She had Billy, but he was not worth having these days. She wondered if this was her punishment for going against her Father and his beliefs, to be damned to go through this life on her own. Selena craved companionship and direction, she did not know how she would go on if she had to carry on this way.

'Oh please...' Gail laughed as she approached Selena's position, '...there's children completely abandoned by their parents and elderly left to rot on their own, but you're so hard done by because you're left for a few weeks?'

Selena sighed, then got up to meet her nemesis. 'Shouldn't you be cooking Lucas Buck's dinner, or cleaning his mansion right now?' she said cattily.

Gail narrowed her eyes at the woman before her and inhaled deeply, to push down her irritation. 'Unlike you, I don't hang off his every order...Maybe you'd like to complete the chores, he may even let you lick his boots when you're down on your knees' Gail mocked.

Selena was not in the mood for games, she had been pleasantly enjoying a peaceful moment here and she did not appreciate being disturbed. 'What do you want Gail? You only come find me when you want something'

Gail rolled her eyes at Selena's comment and linked her arm around hers. 'Who said I want anything? I'm just sick of wedding planning...' she said as she turned and began walking them down the Pier, '...Rita's too busy with Izzy and Christie's being infuriating, so I thought we could head somewhere while I'm child free for the moment'

Selena did not trust this nice act and let out a small laugh. 'Why would I want to hang out with you, especially when you're now engaged to my ex'

'You mean the love of your life?...' Gail asked knowingly, '...Maybe you want to punish him by getting his fiance drunk and convincing her to do unspeakable things. Or maybe you just want to spend some time with the only woman who will give you the time of day in this town'

Selena let out a long sigh, then shook her head. 'I'm going to regret this aren't I?' she asked in a defeated tone.

'Isn't that the best type of night?' Gail asked mischievously and led her towards her car.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Merlyn sat with Matt in the Trinity Library, going through old statistics on Goat Town. Gail was obsessed with finding out what caused the decline in that area and had tasked her with gathering some research material, to enable her to fully investigate when she had time. Merlyn did not mind this menial task, as it got her out of the office and it showed Gail had faith in her fact finding skills. It also gave her something to focus on other than covering Gail's wedding.

Merlyn knew she had been chosen to report on the wedding, so Gail could keep a handle on the story. It was obvious her cousin was trying to find a way out and having and actual experienced Reporter covering the occasion may pressure her into getting it over quickly. Merlyn sensed Gail's stalling tactics and truly hoped she found a way out of this; however, she believed Lucas had her trapped and she would need a miracle to outsmart him with this.

The sound of a book closing caught her attention and she looked up from the page she had been scanning, to see Matt's eyes wandering around the large room. 'Bored already?' she whispered with a smile.

Matt turned towards her and smiled tiredly. When she had asked him to spend time with her in a quiet place this evening, he had secretly hoped it would be at their usual secluded spot in the park; however, it appeared she wanted an assistant and this was not an activity he wanted to do after a long shift at the hospital.

'I'm sorry...' she whispered, sensing his thoughts.'...I didn't mean to trick you into coming here'

'It's OK, it's not like it's appropriate for us to be anywhere else' he sighed quietly.

Merlyn bit her lip mischievously, leaned forward and stroked his knee under the table. 'That's never stopped you meetin' me in the park at night' she smiled and squeezed his knee playfully.

Matt pulled her hand off his knee and quickly glanced over his shoulder, to ensure they were not being watched. 'You can't do that here!' he whispered sternly.

Merlyn let out a small laugh and rolled her eyes. 'You're no fun' she joked, then felt a sudden wave of unease come over her and stared towards the stairs which led to the archive section of the library.

Matt spotted the change in her instantly and followed her eyes. 'Don't tell me you want to get more literature for us to go through? If you keep me going at this pace I won't have time for my patients' he said sarcastically.

Merlyn forced a smile and got up. 'Well we can't have the bored housewives and little ol' biddies doin' without their Doctor Crower can we? What would they do then?' she mocked, then shot him a wink before heading towards the stairs that led to the archive section.

Merlyn had not wanted to worry Matt; however, she felt something deep within her trying to get her attention and it was pushing her towards this section of the library. She recalled from past visits here with Gail that the town residents do not usually come down here, Gail spent a lot of time here previously and showed her where all the important public information was hidden; however, her cousin had taught her that the Library was of no use if she wanted to dig into something deeper.

Right now she was curious as to why she was drawn to this section and why she could feel the hairs on her arms standing up. When she reached the secluded room and popped her head discreetly around the door, her heart sank when she saw Christie sat at the small table rummaging through old newspapers.

Christie had be warned to cease her incessant digging into the past by Gail, her cousin could only hold Lucas off for so long and it was obvious he was not impressed that Gail had found a way to keep her around. Merlyn sensed the tension whenever the subject of Christie came up with them and had previously thought the woman had enough sense to heed her cousins warnings; however, it appeared this was not the case and she did not need to see the newspapers to know she was digging into Lucas.

Merlyn rolled her eyes in irritation at being pulled away from Matt and entered the room confidently, she forced a warm smile when Christie looked up in shock at being found and pulled up a chair opposite her on the table. 'What are you doin' here? It's a lovely day, shouldn't you be out somewhere with Lucy?' she asked.

Christie stared at the girl suspiciously and quickly covered the article she was reading. 'What are you doing? Isn't it past your bedtime?' she asked venomously.

Merlyn sensed her distrust and narrowed her eyes at her. She did not know why she was acting in such a hostile way towards her; however, she did not appreciate it. 'I'm doin' my job unbiased, I doubt I can say the same for you...Does Gail know you're down here diggin' into stuff you shouldn't?' she asked, spotting the date on the newspaper that Christie was attempting to hide.

'It's none of Gail's business...' Christie started.

'Oh I'm guessin' it's very much her business considerin' you appear to be readin' up on her parents deaths' Merlyn interjected and watched as Christie's features turned cold.

Christie shoved the newspaper detailing the forth of July tragedy into her backpack and stood up abruptly. 'Go to bed little girl, it's time for the adults to take over' she said bitterly.

Merlyn laughed and shook her head. 'You're not supposed to take that...I don't think you want to Sheriff gettin' involved in retrievin' stolen property' she mocked knowingly.

Christie stopped for a moment, then continued out of the room and up the stairs without saying a word.

Merlyn sat for a moment and let out an irritated sigh, she understood Christie's need to want to protect her friend; however, Gail did not need protecting and whatever she was up to would not go over well. She stood up when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs, then relaxed when Matt appeared at the door.

'Was that Christie I just saw storm out of here?' he asked concerned.

Merlyn just shrugged, then went to his side and linked her arm around his. 'I'm bored, let's get outta here and do somethin' fun' she smiled and allowed him to lead her back up the stairs.

* * *

Gail sat in the Pool Hall with Selena, staring at her mobile telephone. She had left Luke with Abe at his request and although she trusted him, she was worried due to his lack of energy of late. Abe had insisted that she have some time to herself and she appreciated the gesture; however, she was beginning to doubt her decision to leave him to look after a baby and she could not shake her concern.

'I truly hate you, you know?' Selena said candidly, as she poured them both a large glass of Prosecco.

Gail pushed her telephone to one side on the table, picked up her glass and let out a small sigh. 'And why would you say such a hurtful thing' she asked with mock hurt in her tone.

Selena shrugged and took a large sip of her wine. 'Well, you have everything don't you? The family, the husband, the adoration of the public for taming their protector...What more could you want?' she asked sarcastically.

Gail let out a bitter laugh and downed her drink. 'You think I wanted this? I'm a drifter Selena, I was more than happy going from place to place in search of a different story...What about you? Have I stolen your ideal life?' she asked curiously.

Selena laughed and finished her drink, to keep up. 'Oh please, can you picture me raising a litter? The only thing you did was take the best lay of my life' she lied.

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'Whatever you say, but if that's true what reason do you have to truly hate me?' she asked knowingly.

'He was that good' Selena shrugged and poured them another glass of Prosecco.

'He still is' Lucas said from behind them and placed a possesive hand on Gail's shoulder.

Gail continued to look at Selena and rolled her eyes. 'I guess the tamed protector requires some attention' she smiled and took a sip of her drink.

Selena smirked, then turned her attention towards Lucas. 'I'm sorry Sheriff, have I kept her out past her bedtime? I promise I'll take care of her' she said in her best innocent tone.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at her, then cupped Gail's chin in his hand and gently pulled her head up to look at him. 'Where's Luke?' he asked judgmentally.

'Where's Caleb?' she asked, matching his tone and seriousness.

Lucas stared at her for a moment, then bent down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. 'Point taken...' he smiled and pulled up a chair beside her, '...So, what's brought you two lovely ladies out this way tonight'

Selena rolled her eyes at his unwavering charm, then let out a long sigh when she saw Billy approaching with two drinks in his hand. 'You dragged him out too? I guess he's all fun and games when you come knocking' she smiled bitterly.

Gail glanced towards Billy and shot him a playful wink. She suddenly felt her darkness creep up from within her and decided to embrace it for a change. 'I'll swap your uncomplicated relationship for my dramatic one, what do you say?' she asked.

Selena looked at Lucas, who was clearly not impressed with the comment, then glanced at Gail. 'No comment...I'm not allowing myself to get in trouble for a joke'

Gail leaned forward and ignored Billy, who was looking for a chair to enable him to join the group. 'Who said I was joking? Seriously, my life for yours, wedding and all...this is a one time offer' she said and sensed Selena considering the question.

Lucas did not know what was going on; however, he was not impressed. He placed his hand on Gail's knee and squeezed it hard.

Gail disregarded the sharp pain that was coming from her knee and continued to look deep into Selena's eyes. She knew her answer, it was written all over her face; however, she appeared too afraid to say it. This was not a side of this woman that she had witnessed before and she was intrigued. 'Come on Selena, I'll even throw in the children and it'll be a ready made family with all the companionship you could ever need...I'll take Billy and we'll travel the world on the CDC's budget, all you have to do is say yes' she whispered in a tone much like her lovers and watched as the wheels began to turn in Selena's head.

Lucas was seething over the offer she was giving his ex; however, this dark turn was intriguing and it was turning him on.

Billy pulled a chair next to Selena, then sat down and pushed Lucas' whiskey in front of him, before realising he appeared to be in the middle of a very serious conversation. He was going to make a joking comment; however, he sensed the tension at the table and chose to remain quiet.

Selena searched Gail's face for any indication that she was bluffing; however, the woman appeared deadly serious. She thought for a long moment, then took a deep breath to give her the courage to answer honestly. 'Y...' she started, then closed her mouth when Lucas pulled Gail back upright and put his arm over her shoulder.

'Time's up' he smiled devilishly, then stared at Gail disapprovingly.

'Spoil sport' Gail smiled mischievously, then reached for her drink and took a large sip.

'What did I miss?' Billy asked, placing his arm around Selena's shoulders mirroring Lucas.

'We nearly had authority to run away together' Gail said sweetly, as she picked up Lucas' drink and handed it to him.

Billy glanced at Selena, who waved off the comment, then turned towards Gail. 'Yeah right' he smiled and picked up his drink.

Lucas shook his head at Gail and took a large sip of his drink;however, before he had a chance to swallow, he felt a soft hand on his cheek and Gail brought his face to hers for a kiss. Lucas knew what she wanted and allowed the liquid to flow into her mouth, then inhaled deeply when she released him from the embrace and swallowed his drink. 'If you like it that much, I'll be sure to order some more' he smiled.

Gail gave him a playful wink and turned towards their companions. 'So, what brings you out tonight Doctor?' she asked, as she disregarded the daggers Selena was giving her.

Billy forced a smile to hide his discomfort over what he had just witnessed and stroked Selena's knee under the table. 'I was going fishing with Ben, until your other half dragged me here' he said, then felt the need to kiss Selena on the cheek as a sign of affection.

'You interjected yourself into Ben's time with his son? I don't blame my love for dragging you away' she laughed and leaned into Lucas when he stroked her back.

'See that Billy-boy? I'm just doin' a public service and Mrs Buck will back that up' he smirked.

Gail shot him a warning glance, then turned her attention to Selena. 'You wanna get out of here?' she asked, remembering she had brought the woman here on a promise of fun and she clearly was not having any.

'Absolutely' Selena said, then downed her drink and stood up.

Lucas watched as Gail stood up, then downed his drink and followed suit. 'Come on Doc', you're slowin' us down' he laughed, then stopped when Selena stood in front of him.

'Not a chance' she said and turned to Gail for back up.

'Do you really care that much?' Gail sighed, sensing Lucas would follow them regardless of whether she ordered him not to.

'Yeah, are you really that torn up over me that you can't stand to be around me in case your old feelin's return?' he mocked.

Billy stood up and went to Selena's side. 'Come on Selena, we haven't been out in a while and he'll be on his best behaviour' Billy said and shot Lucas a warning glance.

Gail was growing tired of the conversation and linked Selena's arm. 'Ignore them, we're leaving and if they tag along that just means the richest man in Trinity is funding our night out'

Selena sighed and allowed Gail to lead her out of the Pool Hall. She knew she always regretted the choices she made in the company of this woman; however, she had nothing better do at this moment in time.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Caleb sat on Gail's old front porch with Rocky and Lucy, waiting for any adult to return home. He had finished fishing with Ben an hour ago and told him to drop him here, as it did not appear that Lucas or Gail were home yet and he did not want to be alone in the Buck Mansion. He had hoped Doctor Matt would have been back by now; however, he had just found a babysitter watching Lucy and had sent her home, as Christie was apparently late.

Caleb had enjoyed fishing with Ben, it was a change from his usual routine and Ben had always been very genuine; however, now he was ready to continue the task he had started with his Father and it was bothering him that Lucas was nowhere to be found.

The sound of laughter caught his attention and he started down the path towards Matt and Merlyn, who were walking together without a care in the world. 'It's about time someone showed up' Caleb stated irritated.

Merlyn glanced at her brother with surprise, she had expected him to be settled in the Buck Mansion with his new family at this time of night; however, here he was staring at them judgmentally. 'What are you doin' here?' she asked confused.

'What am I doin' here? Where have you all been? Me and Lucy have been here for ages waitin' for someone to return!'

Matt looked towards the porch and saw Lucy sat on the porch swing, blissfully unaware of anything but Rocky who was sat beside her. 'Where's Christie? Where the hell is Gail and Lucas?' he asked, beginning to get angry at the children being left on their own.

Caleb followed Matt to the porch and shrugged. 'Lucas is off somewhere with Billy, Gail's probably at Abe's with Luke and Christie's probably stickin' her nose where it don't belong' he said bitterly and watched as Matt picked up Lucy carefully.

'Christie was at the Library but she left and I thought she would've been back by now...' Merlyn sighed, then approached Caleb and placed her arm around his shoulders. '...You want me to walk you home?'

Caleb sensed Merlyn did not like him being here and became curious as to why. 'I ain't stayin' there on my own, I wanna stay here tonght'

Merlyn pulled her arm back and shook her head. 'You can't, you chose to stay with Lucas and that's where you're goin'' she ordered, not wanting him to spoil her time alone with Matt.

'No-one is going anywhere' Matt said, as he opened the door and signaled for Caleb to enter.

'Lucas is his daddy and we don't want him comin' round here startin' nothin'' Merlyn tried to reason.

Matt had managed to avoid having a conversation about Caleb's real parentage up to now and he did not appreciate this being brought up. Gail had respected his wishes to remain oblivious with this subject and even Lucas had not forced the issue; therefore, the fact that someone he held so close was bringing it up, did not go over well. 'I don't care what you do, but these children are staying with me tonight. You either accept that and help me, or go home' he snapped and walked past Caleb, who was stood at the open door.

Merlyn felt herself starting to become upset, she had not meant anything by what she said and did not understand why Matt had turned on her. When Caleb came to her and wrapped his arms around her waist in an attempt to comfort her, she pushed him off and started down the porch steps. 'You ruin everythin'' she snapped and stormed away from him, unaware of where she was going to go.

* * *

Lucas sat next to Billy on a stretch of grass by the riverbank, watching the women before him. He had decided to drive them all to a quiet spot by the River, after picking up plenty of alcohol and now he was watching Gail dancing to the music coming from his car stereo, whilst carefully dipping her feet into the cool water.

There had been a moment when he sensed some unease in his lover and his twin tried to claw it's way out, due to a sense of urgency over something; however, he disregarded the feeling, knowing that nothing could touch him right now and decided to enjoy a relaxing night without his children.

Gail enjoyed the upbeat sound of ELO, as she swayed to the music. It was nice to be able to truly let her hair down and even when she felt like something required her attention, she let it go sensing Lucas had experienced the same feeling and he had chosen to disregard it. The water was cool on her feet and the small sensation of the current was causing her senses to become heightened. She had polished off two bottles of Prosecco with Selena and whilst her female partner was unsteady on her feet and sitting on the ground, Gail was full of energy and ready for something wild.

Lucas sensed his loves feelings and glanced at Billy, who was sat motionless drinking his beer and watching Selena. It appeared their partners were done for the night; therefore, he stood up and removed his shirt and pants, then approached Gail. Before she had chance to notice him and protest, he lifted her dress off, picked her up and waded into the water with her in his arms.

Gail wrapped her arms around his neck tight and disregarded Billy's shouts for them to return to land. She allowed Lucas to wade deeper into the River and rested her head against him. When he did not appear to be stopping, she lifted her head up and regarded him suspiciously. 'This is far enough, it's freezing in here' she said calmly and tried to hide her unease from her tone; however, Lucas continued to delve further into the River.

Lucas disregarded her obvious concern and held her close to his chest, to share his warmth. The cold had never bothered him, he had always been warm to the touch and tonight was no different. As he waded further into the water, he felt her tense in his arms and stopped. The water was up to her chest, so he manoeuvred her to allow him to grip her hips and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She looked more comfortable with her head above his; therefore, he continued on his path towards the centre of the River.

Gail glanced over his shoulder to see Billy had been pulled down by Selena and she was straddling him. She rolled her eyes at how easily that man could be controlled and turned her attention to the strange behaviour of her lover. 'Seriously Lucas, stop' she ordered, then smiled when he obeyed her.

Lucas looked deep into her eyes for a few moments, then placed a soft kiss on her lips. 'I could just continue goin', end it right here for us both' he advised in a calm tone and stroked a strand of hair out of her eyes.

Gail did not like his relaxed demeanour with what he was suggesting; however, she chose remained calm herself. 'Is that how this ends? You take us both out? It'd be a bit cruel forcing me to go out like this, considering my past and all'

Lucas smiled and took a few steps forward, the water was at the top of his chest now and it would not be long before they were fully submerged. 'From what little I witnessed of that tragedy, it appears that was an act of jealousy and this ain't that'

'Then what is it? An act of love?' she asked in a mock sweet tone, then smiled when she saw the humour return to his eyes.

'You wanted to swap your life, there's no way in hell I'll ever release you. This way we'll go out with a bang' he smiled mischievous and continued to stare deep into her eyes.

Gail sensed what this was and relaxed, this was his way of getting back at her for what she had suggested and she supposed she deserved it. 'You've already risen from the dead once Sheriff, I'm not convinced this wouldn't just end with me floating face down in the River alone...Besides, even if you did stay dead this time, what about the children?' she asked, playing along.

Lucas thought for a moment, then smiled. 'Caleb would take care of Luke, Merlyn would take care of Caleb and Matt would take care of Merlyn...If all else failed, Ben would step up' he shrugged.

'Oh, so you have it all planned out do you? How very clever you are Sheriff. There's just one thing you forgot to consider' she advised, moving her hand to his chest and scratching her long nails down.

'And what's that Miss Emory?' he asked curiously, then let out a low moan when she reached into his boxer shorts and took out his manhood.

'What would you do without this?' she asked and began kissing his neck, whilst pulling gently at his manhood.

Lucas released his grip on her hips, then turned her around, moved her thong string and thrust his manhood deep inside of her. 'You think that idiot back there could take you like I do?' he asked possessively, as he began pounding in and out of her.

Gail let out a loud moan, then bit her bottom lip to stifle her yell. His quick movement had surprised her and she had expected a little more banter before they got to this part. 'It's not the idiot I want, it's the freedom...' she panted, '...If I could have you and still travel the world, then everything would be perfect'

Lucas smiled to himself, he knew how to get the truth out of her by now and it was good that she considered him in her ideal future, even if the children were not included. 'We have everythin' we need right here, why change that?' he panted and gripped her hips tighter, to allow him to push himself as deep as he could go inside of her.

Gail dug her nails into his hands and tried to remain still in the current, it was proving difficult and the sensation of the cold water on her skin with his unabating thrusts was becoming too much to bear. 'You have what you need...' she said, attempting to keep her focus. '...You never considered my plans when you got me tangled in this web of yours, so don't act like you care now'

Lucas could not hold off any longer, her willingness to allow him to take her any way he wanted turned him on further and he felt his climax rising within him. He sensed she was ready to let go and exploded within her, then bit down hard on her shoulder to stifle his call.

Gail called out when he came inside of her and leaned back into him, when his movements ceased. They both inhaled deeply to get some much needed air into their lungs and Gail allowed Lucas to wrap his arms around her stomach affectionately. 'I don't want the wedding in a church' she said quietly, as she leaned her head to the side and allowed his lips access to her neck.

Lucas kissed and sucked her neck, then raised his head at her comment. 'This is a traditional town and it will be a traditional ceremony...Your family was very religious, so I don't see the problem'

'My family were religious and some of us still are, regardless of whether we show it outwardly, but I'm telling you that I don't want it in a church and that's my only stipulation here' she advised and continued to lean back into him.

Lucas was surprised that she was not fighting with him, she appeared to be approaching this in a professional manner and it had taken him off guard. 'Alright, if not in a church then where?' he asked, expecting her to have no comeback.

'Here...' she said without hesitation, '...There's no place more pure in this town than the River'

Lucas thought for a moment, then laughed. 'Washing away all your sins, is that what you want?'

Gail knew she had his intrigue and smiled. 'You'll never know unless you agree to my terms...Do we have a deal?' she asked, turning around to look into his eyes.

Lucas regarded her suspiciously for a moment, then smiled. 'Alright Miss Emory, I'll bite...You find a spot big enough for a large crowd and we won't have it in a church'

Gail leaned forward and kissed him passionately. She had not expected him to entertain her request; however, it appeared he was trying to keep her on side. 'What's say we head back and ditch those two? My cabin isn't far from here and it's been a while since we were truly alone'

Lucas caught the mischievous glint in her eyes and nodded. 'Who am I to deny a request from such a deserving woman?' he asked sarcastically, then picked her up into his arms and began to carry her back to the riverbank.

* * *

Caleb lay in his old bed, tossing and turning. He had experienced a strange sense of alarm earlier and it had carried itself over to his dream.

He was in the garden of his Fathers home looking from behind a tree, as Christie failed to gain entry to the house through the locked side door. He realised that Gail and Lucas were not home, or Christie would not be here and felt a stronger sense of urgency to do something.

Caleb called out Christie's name angrily; however, all he heard was a strange growl. The sound made him realised that he was hunched down and not in the standing position he initially thought he was, which prompted him to believe this was just a dream.

Christie cursed out loud, then headed towards the back of the property quickly. She had gained some sources while she had been here and the grapevine confirmed her friend and the Sheriff were out for the night; therefore, she would not waste this opportunity and was desperate to get inside to see what she could uncover. The Library could only take her so far and although she had come across some strange things in her research, she knew the real information she required would be in this house.

Christie looked over her shoulder quickly, when she thought she heard a growl; however, she was still alone and decided to try her luck with the back door. This property was huge and she did not blame Gail for being charmed by it all. It was a shame that the man she had fallen for was tainted to say the least and now it was her duty, as her best friend, to show her the truth.

Caleb watched and followed as Christie reached the large fountain in the back of the property, he heard strange whispers from all around him and attempted to back up to safety; however, whatever form he had taken would not allow him to retreat and Caleb was starting to feel scared. Suddenly he saw a dark figure standing close to a gravestone at the back of the garden and he recognised his Fathers stance. Something inside of him could tell it was not Lucas' physical form, but he sensed his Fathers presence was with him and it made him feel at ease.

Christie stared at the fountain and laughed out loud. 'Could you have bagged a richer man Gail?' she asked herself, then swung around and stared at the back door cautiously as it opened slowly by itself.

Christie felt a sudden wave of unease come over her and knew she should not be here alone. She could not put her finger on it; however, she sensed this place was not right and she felt as though she needed to get out right now.

Caleb sensed his moment and rushed out from behind a bush, he charged at Christie angrily and watched as horror appeared on her face.

Christie's mouth dropped at the sight of the monster charging towards her and tried to scream; however, her voice had gone. She instinctively rushed towards the open door and closed it behind her, then backed up down the dark corridor she was in.

Christie heard scratching on the wall and looked all around her, in an attempt to find the origin of the sound; however, she could not see a thing. She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes, as she failed to see a way out of here and felt her fear take hold.

Suddenly a small creak came from the side of her and a door opened. Christie had no choice but to go into the room and when she did, the door slammed closed behind her.

Caleb leaned close to the back door and heard to sound of a woman's scream, the sound caused his sense of alarm to disappear and he was no longer present in his Fathers property.

Caleb let out a long breath and drifted off into a deep sleep, unaware of what he had contributed to.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Gail was awoken by the gentle sensation of Lucas blowing on her sweet spot playfully and tensed as she glanced around the strange room she had found herself in. It took a moment for her to remember they had ended the night in her past self's cabin and relaxed when she realised where they were. She reached for her mobile telephone on the bedside table to ensure Abe had not contacted her, before relaxing into the pleasure Lucas was giving her and allowing him to take control.

Lucas savoured the taste of her in his mouth and continued to play, until he heard her satisfied moans when her climax took hold. He kissed her body softly as he made his way up to her, then parted her legs with his knees and gently pushed his manhood inside of her. 'There's a strange presence here, I think I like it' he whispered, as he began to move in and out of her slowly.

Gail let out a pained moan, due to his relentless appetite of the following night and dug her nails deep into his back. 'Keep your all seeing eye to yourself and focus Sheriff' she said in mock scorn, then kissed him passionately.

Lucas sensed how content she was and kept his movements slow. It appeared she was not fighting him for a change and he wanted to take his time with her this morning, before their real life came knocking. He felt her nails scrape down his back and knew she was enjoying this as much as he was, usually she made an attempt to take control when he decided to be gentle; however, it appeared she had chosen to let go.

Gail held him close to her, as she nipped and sucked his neck. The slow bursts of pleasure were unbearable and she was relieved when their climax finally came together. She started to allow him to relax into her chest, after he had exploded within her; however, a sudden intrusive feeling took over, causing her to push him off of her and get out of bed.

She grabbed a robe and headed to the front of the cabin, with Lucas following confused behind her. She entered the front room, with Lucas in close pursuit and let out a sigh of relief when she saw Merlyn asleep on the couch. Gail went to reach for her; however, Lucas pulled her back and gripped her tight.

'I'm not finished with you yet' he whispered and stared deep into her eyes seductively.

Gail pulled her arm free of his grasp and reached for Merlyn then gave her a gentle shake, ignoring his look of exasperation.

Merlyn jumped up when she felt a hand touch her, then relaxed when she saw Gail. 'I didn't wanna disturb you...I didn't know where else to go for some peace' she said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

'Where's Caleb?' Gail asked concerned, assuming Merlyn had been with him.

'With Harvard...You think I would've allowed my boy to be alone?' Lucas asked irritated.

Gail rolled her eyes, then went to sit next to Merlyn. 'You shouldn't have come here alone, when did you even get here anyway?' she asked confused.

Merlyn felt her cheeks blush and stared out of the window to her right. 'About 11:00pm...I got a cab, then walked the rest of the way' she shrugged.

Gail thought for a moment, then closed her eyes in shame. 'We got here just before 10:30pm...'

'Hear anythin' you liked Missy?' Lucas interjected amused, then headed to the kitchen when Merlyn's face went bright red.

Merlyn looked at Gail, who had her head in her hands and placed a reassuring hand on her knee. 'I had my headphones on the whole time' she smiled and lifted up her IPod that was stuffed under a pillow.

Gail let out a sigh of relief, then laughed. 'If I'd have known...'

'You weren't to know Matt was gonna be left with Lucy as well as Caleb. I would've stayed if he hadn't snapped at me' Merlyn interrupted, still irritated with what had transpired.

'Wait, what? Christie didn't go home last night?' Gail asked concerned, thinking back to the strange feeling she had experienced before their tussle in the River.

'I wouldn't worry about that busy body, I'm sure she was just out diggin' into somethin' she shouldn't' Lucas smirked knowingly and handed them both a glass of water.

Merlyn nodded her appreciation to Lucas courteously and took the glass he offered. She sensed Gail's concern and felt a knot in her stomach, thinking back to how she had left things the previous night. She should have questioned why Christie had not returned, rather than storming off due to her childish hurt feelings.

'This isn't on you...' Gail reassured her, sensing her thoughts and stood up to meet her lover. '...Why do I get the feeling you distracted me on purpose last night?'

Lucas laughed and shook his head. He was fully aware of what was going on; however, this was not his doing and he was proud of his boy for using his initiative. 'You know me better than that love, I'm done hidin' my intentions from you and I've made my feelings very clear about that scandalmonger...I was with you all evenin' and night, so if that degenerate friend of yours got herself into somethin' foul, it ain't down to me'

Gail shook her head in frustration, his smugness was infuriating and she sensed he knew something. She was disappointed with herself for not paying attention to the warning she felt the previous evening and could not push down her anger. 'If anything's happened to her...' she started.

'It ain't on me' Lucas interjected sternly and stared deep into her eyes, showing he was not lying.

'How's your eldest?' Gail asked, knowing there were only so many pawns on the board.

Lucas smirked and stroked her cheek tenderly. 'You'll have to ask your perfect Doc Crower, but i'm thinkin' he's fine and dandy' he mocked.

Gail shook her head in exasperation and stormed out of the room, ignoring the look that her past self was giving her from the corner. She needed to get out of here to find out what was going on and the look of mischief from her past self was not providing reassurance.

* * *

Matt sat at the kitchen table, feeding Lucy in her high chair. He had been up most of the night listening out for Christie returning; however, there was no sign of her and he was beginning to worry. He had not heard from Gail or M either, which was causing him to be on edge and the fact that he was stuck with the children prevented him from being able to look for them.

Caleb entered the kitchen smiling, then his smile disappeared when he saw the worried look of Matt's face. 'Don't worry Doctor Matt, M and Gail are fine' he reassured him as he went to the Refrigerator, sensing the reason for his concern.

Matt did not like Caleb's apparent good mood when so much was going on and let out an exasperated sigh. 'Firstly, if everything was fine you wouldn't be here and secondly, it isn't just those two that I'm worried about...Could you watch Lucy while I check around for Christie? She didn't return last night'

Caleb felt a strange sensation in his stomach at the mention of Christie; however, he shrugged it off and continued to pour himself a glass of milk.

'I don't think an 11 year old is best suited for takin' care of a 1 year old Harvard, why don't you let the man with the star lead the manhunt?' Lucas asked amused, as he leaned against the kitchen door.

''Bout time you showed up' Caleb said bluntly and pulled up a chair next to Matt.

'I had a few things that required my close attention son, I knew the good Doctor would take care of you' Lucas shrugged and knelt down to stroke Rocky, when he decided to join them in the kitchen.

'How'd ya know I wouldn't go home and get lost in that big ol' Mansion of yours?' Caleb asked defiantly.

'I'm Lucas Buck son, I know what you're gonna do well before you do it' he laughed.

Matt stood up abruptly at the playful banter and threw the chair across the kitchen in frustration. He instantly regretted his reaction when Rocky started to bark and Lucy began to cry. 'How can you two be like this when people are missing!' he yelled, then picked up Lucy and began rocking her in his arms.

Lucas was about to approach his adversary when he felt the familiar soft hand on his shoulder and he thought better of it.

'No one's missing Matt, M and Christie stayed with me at Abe's last night' Gail lied, as she shot Lucas a look that warned him to step down.

Matt let out a relieved sigh when he saw Gail and approached his friend. 'I've been worried sick Gail, where are they now?'

Gail placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave him an apologetic look. 'I'm so sorry, we got really drunk last night and M wanted to take care of us. Christie is sleeping it off and M is watching Luke for me. I know we should've called and I promise it won't happen again...Were these two alright for you?' she asked, sensing he was on the edge of a meltdown.

Lucas glanced at Caleb and signalled for him to slip out with him. It appeared Gail had chosen to lie to her true best friend and he knew better than to hang around waiting for her guilt to direct itself at him.

'They were fine, Caleb was out like a light and Lucy was an angel...until I set her off just now that is' he said deflated, feeling guilty his overreaction.

Gail gave him a long hug, careful not to crush Lucy who was still clinging on to him for comfort. When she turned towards Caleb, she noticed both him and Lucas had disappeared and could not hold in her agitated laugh. 'I'm glad they were good for you, I promise this won't happen again...Are you alright watching Lucy while I fix Christie up? I don't want to impose on you more than we already have'

Matt smiled and placed Lucy back in her high chair. 'I don't mind, it was nice spending time with a little girl again' he sighed sadly.

Gail could sense Matt's pain and cursed Lucas for whatever he had allowed to happen. 'I'll tell you what, I'll send M round to see if you need any help...I hear there may have been a little incident which might need clearing up' she said, knowing Merlyn had a way of brightening up his day.

Matt's face lit up at the sound of her name and his grin widened. 'There is something I need to fix there, I'd appreciate it if you could arrange that'

Gail nodded and gave Matt a soft kiss on the cheek, before heading out of the house to locate Lucas. The fact that he had disappeared with Caleb did not ease her feeling that something was wrong and she would not be able to control her actions if her friend had been hurt.

* * *

Lucas pulled into his driveway and turned off the engine. He sensed he had at least an hour before Gail was able to get away from Abe after collecting Luke and wanted this matter dealt with quickly, to ensure there was no backlash on his son; therefore, he got out of the car without saying a word, then headed towards the back of the property.

Caleb was thrown off by Lucas exiting the vehicle so quickly and quickly got out, then followed him through the large garden. Lucas had not said much on the journey over here and he was beginning to get worried. 'What's goin' on?' he asked, suddenly not wanting to go near the back of the property.

Lucas disregarded the question for a moment, until they had reached the large fountain and he sat back on the old piece of architecture casulayy. He admired the wild part of his property for a moment, before turning his attention back to Caleb. 'I know you felt the urge to act without my full consent and that's alright this time, but there's a certain way to do things and we can't allow any evidence on this property, you understand?' he asked calmly.

Caleb stared at him confused for a moment, then parts of his dream came flooding back and his mouth dropped open. 'Christie...' he started concerned, then stopped when he saw the devilish glint in his Fathers eyes.

'We'll get to that once we've ensured there's nothin' linkin' anythin' to you' Lucas smiled, then waited for his eldest to take the lead.

Caleb pushed down the feeling of nausea he was experiencing and began to retrace the steps Christie had taken in his dream. He was confident there would be nothing at the front or side of the property that indicated she had been here; however, the back of the property was a different story. 'She got scared and ran...over there' he pointed at the door which led out into the back of the house. He had never been in that part of the property before and after his dream, he had no desire to.

Lucas nodded, proud that his boy was focusing fully on the task at hand. If Gail returned and found any evidence of Christie being here, there would be all kinds of hell to pay for the both of them and he could not have that now that he had her where he wanted her. 'Alright, so what now?' he asked, wanting Caleb to figure this out for himself. There was no point in giving him the answers if he truly wanted him to embrace his potential, it was down to the boy to figure it out on his own.

Caleb thought for a moment, then turned towards Lucas. 'You were here, I saw you' he said and looked at his Father curiously.

'I'm everywhere in spirit son, especially here...' he shrugged, '...You think you could do somethin' without me knowin'?'

Caleb realised that he always felt Lucas' presence wherever he was in town, it had just became the norm. He supposed it made sense that Lucas was somehow able keep a watchful eye on things, it explained why everything ran in a certain uniform way in Trinity.

Caleb shook off that line of thinking and began to retrace Christie's steps, she had ran away quickly after whatever form he had taken chased her into the Mansion; therefore, he scoured the ground as he followed her route. As he got closer to the door, he felt a sharp pain in his head and his attention was forced towards the left. When he glanced at the grass to the left of the footpath, he spotted something shiny and knelt down to pick it up.

Lucas was following close behind him and smiled when he spotted what Lucas already knew was there. He had been doing this a lot longer than anyone realised and he knew exactly what to look for. Lucas reached for the gold bracelet when Caleb stood up and turned it over in his fingers. 'Your cousin owns an identical bracelet to this one, I do believe they treated each other to the gifts when they published their first front page articles' he advised, sensing the history in the object.

Caleb felt a wave of guilt flow through him when he considered how close Gail was to Christie. He remembered hearing the story of how they met, when Christie first visited Gail in Trinity and knew they had no one but each other for the longest time. His body began to shake involuntarily when he looked towards the door and he was struggling to breath. Gail would not react well if she found out what had happened and he was now doubting his choice to explore this dark part of himself.

Lucas sensed Caleb's thoughts and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 'Don't you worry about that ol' cousin of yours, do you really think I'd allow anythin' to happen to you?' he asked confused, lacking the capability to understand this change in his son.

Caleb shrugged off Lucas' hand and took a step back, to allow himself some space to think. 'She's different too, what makes you think you can stop her from doin' anythin'?' he snapped, feeling his fear beginning to creep up from inside of him.

Lucas let out a long sigh and shook his head. 'You're a Buck son, these childish outbreaks are gonna have to stop soon...' he said calmly, '...That fear you're feelin' is your old restrictive self tryin' to control you, it's time you let that go and embraced your true potential fully'

'And if he doesn't?' Gail asked curiously, as she came around the corner of the house with Luke in her arms. She did not know what she had walked in on; however, she sensed her cousins fear and instantly got her guard up.

Caleb instinctively stepped closer to Lucas and quickly scoured the ground, to ensure there was no other evidence that Christie had been here.

Lucas stood in front of Caleb and slipped the bracelet into his back pocket discreetly. 'We're just havin' a casual chat, Father to son, there's nothin' for you to be concerned about here' he advised, attempting to dispel her curiosity.

Gail glanced at Caleb, who smiled sweetly back at her and turned her full attention to Lucas. 'I'm going out to look for Christie, I'm assuming you have no issues taking care of your other son while I'm gone?' she asked sarcastically.

'I have no problems takin' care of my family Darlin', that includes you too' Lucas smiled charmingly and took Luke from her.

Gail sensed something was not right here; however, she could not place her finger on it. She placed a soft kiss on Luke's forehead and gave Caleb an affectionate hug, before leaning close to Lucas and staring deep into his eyes. 'If either of you are hiding something serious from me, I suggest you come clean now...If I have to find out for myself, there will be trouble' she whispered.

'Is that a threat?' Lucas asked amused.

'That's a promise' she said sweetly, then walked away and headed towards her car.

Lucas inhaled deeply as he watched her leave, then handed Luke to Caleb and signalled for him to follow. 'Come on son, it's about time I introduced you both to this part of the property' he smiled devilishly and opened the door that Christie had initially fled through.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Matt sat with M in a quiet Coffee Shop, with Lucy in a buggy beside them. Although he was worried about Christie, he had enjoyed spending time with Lucy as she reminded him of his daughter Claire. Although the thought of Claire caused him instant sorrow, it occurred to him that he could not remember a happier time than this moment since she had been taken from him and he began to wonder about what he had done to deserve a second chance in this life.

'You lightened up and got with the program Doc, that's all it takes for a lifetime of happiness in my town' Lucas said smugly, as he pulled up a chair beside them and ignored Merlyn's distrustful glance.

'What do you want Lucas?...' Merlyn asked suspiciously, '...Gail ain't here'

Lucas laughed and shook his head, he could not believe Harvard had not cottoned on to her real identity yet; however, even he did not have the heart to tell the man that he was in love with a dead girl.

Although Matt had been a thorn in his side for a long time, the man had learned his place and that was all he required of his townspeople. Besides, Matt Crower was a tortured soul as it was and he did not much care for the wrath of his love if he chose to push him over the edge. 'Well, even though it's my day off, I'm doin' my civic duty and attempting to locate a missin' person...I don't suppose you good people have stumbled across Christie Everest have you?' he asked with mock concern.

Merlyn sensed that he was hiding something and shook her head, he was Lucas Buck and no one could go missing in this town without his knowledge of their whereabouts. 'That's mighty good of you Sheriff...' she said sarcastically, '...Here I was thinkin' you'd buried her somewhere where no one could find her'

'Stop it!' Matt snapped, then leaned down protectively and stroked Lucy's cheek softly.

Lucas winked mischievously at Merlyn, then turned his full attention to Matt. 'You seem to be taken by that one Doc, it's good to see you haven't lost your paternal instinct' he stated, impressed at how Matt was handling the situation.

Matt let out a small laugh and shook his head. 'I'm only human Sheriff and it's everyone's basic instinct to protect a child...Are you any closer on finding Christie?' he asked, trying not to allow concern to creep into his voice in front of Lucy.

'The issue we have here is the woman's a Reporter...' Lucas let out a long sigh and stood up, '...if she's anythin' like my other half she may not want to be found, if she's diggin' into somethin' juicy that is'

'That may be true, but I doubt your other half would leave her child while she did such a thing and I highly doubt Christie would either' Matt stated, attempting to hide his irritation.

Lucas nodded and laughed. 'I suppose you're right, I better continue my search then hadn't I? If you do stumble across my love, let her know both me and Caleb are lookin' for her friend...I'd hate her to think she hasn't got the support of her real family' he stated ingratiatingly, then headed back towards his car.

Merlyn watched as he left andlet out an exasperated sigh. 'Yeah, we're left to verify his good nature in searchin' for her friend, while he gains her approval' she said irritated and rolled her eyes at his audacity.

Matt laughed and placed a reassuring hand on his arm. 'Gail's not that stupid. Besides, we're not getting involved in anything...we'll take care of Lucy for as long as it takes and keep well out of the firing line' he advised, then started to feed Lucy her lunch.

* * *

Christie awoke on an old mattress, with her hands bound with robe. The dirty mattress was on the floor in the middle of a dark room and all she could hear was the faint sound of birds, meaning she was not near a road.

A blanket had been placed over her, indicating her captor was not completely heartless and there was a glass of water to the side of the mattress. Christie did not understand what was going on; however, she felt an urgent need to get out of her restraints and head for a populated place.

The small creak of a door stopped her thoughts and she quickly turned her head in the direction of the sound. 'Is someone there?' she asked cautiously, attempting to remain strong.

Two inquisitive eyes stared at her from the darkness; however, no voice was heard.

Christie continued to stare in that direction and felt fear begin to take hold. 'If someone's there, please get me out of here...I promise I won't say anything, but I have a little girl and she needs her Mother' she pleaded.

Caleb felt something come over him and he step out of the shadow of the door, to allow her to see him. This woman looked harmless while she was bound to the ground; however, the darkness inside of him had shown him the truth and she was poison for his family.

Christie's mouth dropped open when she saw Caleb and she pleaded once more. 'Caleb? I'm so glad to see you...quickly untie me before whoever did this comes back'

Caleb just stood staring at her curiously. Part of him wanted to help her; however, she had proven that she could not be trusted and he knew he needed to wait for his Father to return, to establish the best course of action here.

Christie stared at him with disdain, when she realised he would not help her and shook her head. 'When I get out of this, I swear I'll expose you all for what you truly are!' she screamed and began trying to pull herself free.

The front door burst open, allowing sunlight to shine into the room. Christie surveyed her surroundings quickly and her heart sank when she realised this bare residence had clearly been abandoned for years.

Lucas stepped through the threshold and closed the door slowly behind him, eliminating the light which tried to creep in. He stared at Christie, who had started thrashing in the rope which bound her and let out a devilish laugh. 'Isn't it funny how all common sense disappears in moments of distress' he asked, as he knelt down in front of her and removed a strand of hair from her face when she stopped fighting.

Christie stared at him and tried to remain confident; however, her fear had already taken hold and she could not shake it. 'When Gail finds out...'

'She wont' Lucas interrupted knowingly and gently stroked her cheek, as though he was handling a child.

Christie began to shake involuntarily and could not take her eyes off of him. On the surface he appeared gentle; however, his underlying darkness was radiating off of him and he did not seem to want to hide it.

'Shhh...' Lucas whispered soothingly, as he continued to stroke her cheek. '...This ain't my ball game here Darlin' and if it was, your pain sufferin' would've ended by now on account of my love'

Christie watched as he stood up and walked towards Caleb, who was still watching her curiously. That look had been bothering her and now she remembered why. She once had a cat who had caught a mouse and trapped it in a corner, the cat had that same curious look as it played with it's prey before devouring it. Christie felt all hope flow out of her, then lay down on the dirty mattress and closed her eyes.

Lucas let out a small laugh and shook his head. 'It's always satisfying watching the almighty fall' he smirked, then smiled at Caleb deviously and decided to let him take point here.

* * *

Gail sat on the side porch staring out into the extravagant garden, she had been scouring the town for Christie; however, her friend was nowhere to be found.

At first she had thought this was some kind of punishment, for her neglecting their friendship and choosing Lucas over her. This was not the first time Christie had pulled a stunt like this and she always seemed to have a problem when Gail started to get close to a man in the past; however, after a while, she realised this felt different.

Gail had considered Lucas' potential role in all of this, due to his disapproval of her keeping Christie around as he wanted her all to himself. She had even released her darkness in an attempt to gain clarity on the situation and dig out any part Lucas may have played in this; however, her efforts came up short, which only left her with one lead to follow.

Gail walked down the porch steps and began pacing around the garden with intent, she had a knot in her stomach ever since she found out Christie was missing and part of her did not want to explore the only remaining lead she had. She closed her eyes in exasperation and attempted to release Rosemary as a last resort for help; however, it appeared even her dark half did not want to guide her appropriately and for the first time in a long time she was truly worried.

Suddenly the laughter of her Father came from all around her and she let out a long irritated sigh, she did not know whether his voice was real or just a fabrication of her mind; however, she knew his laughter signified the lack of control she had over her life and the fact that she had brought this on herself, for giving herself over to a Buck.

The laughter became louder as she continued to pace aimlessly around the garden. The clear criticism of her life choices was becoming unbearable and Gail was about to yell out in anger, when the laughter stopped and she realised she was stood in front of the old fountain she loved so much. Gail looked around confused, confirming she had subconsciously wandered to the back of Lucas' property and suddenly felt drawn to the door at the back of the house, opposite the fountain.

Gail leaned back against the fountain and stared at the door suspiciously for a moment, she had been in that part of the house once before and she had lost all concept of time when she was there. Surely Christie would not have been stupid enough to come here. Gail had been that stupid before she was with Lucas, not long after she came to Trinity; however, she was blinded by her need to uncover the truth about her parents and she had exhausted all of her other options.

Her Fathers laughter came from all around her again and she shook her head in exasperation, then headed for the door. Whatever was waiting in this part of the property could not be worse than the berating sound of her dead Fathers voice and if something did happen to her, at least she would be free once and for all.

When she entered the property, the laughter ceased and she was left alone in a dark corridor. The only recollection she had was the room at the end of the corridor and she slowly walked towards it, obediently ignoring the closed doors either side of her as she passed them. Gail was not interested in digging into what secrets this property held, she had seen enough to know that this was a cursed place and it was safer if her attention was elsewhere. She would revisit her initial investigations, considering the things she had uncovered about her past self; however, right now she was focused on her friend and she felt drawn to that familiar room.

Gail took a deep breath, unsure of what she was going to find, then opened the door to Lucas' childhood playroom. She glanced around the large room with adoration for his childhood haven, then let out a small gasp when she saw Lucas sat with his feet up on his electric train set table, examining a small train in his hand.

'You know better than to come snoopin' around these parts love' Lucas sighed, not taking his eyes off the train in his hand.

Gail felt a wave of anger flow through her at the sight of him, she suspected that this was all a game; however, she did not understand why he was targeting Christie now. Suddenly she was convinced Christie was trapped in his Mothers old office, which had previously been off limits to her and headed straight for the door at the back of the room, then turned the handle.

Before the door could open, Lucas was behind her and gripping her hand around the handle. 'I'm startin' to think you don't trust me Miss Emory' he said sarcastically and spun her around roughly to face him.

'What would give you that impression Sheriff?...' she asked in mock innocence, '...The fact that I feel the need to question every action you've ever taken, or because I choose to investigate your obvious misconduct with every spare minute I have?'

Lucas laughed and shook his head, he could sense her desperation to get into his Mothers office and he was not going to make it that easy for her. 'Oh come on now Gail, we're soon to be officially bound forever, don't you think it's about time that you stopped this witch hunt of yours?' he asked amused.

'You're right, we're soon to be bound in the eyes of God. I think I'm well within my rights to explore the place that will legally be half fine very soon' she smiled sweetly, then attempted to knee him in the crotch.

Lucas saw the move coming a mile away and leaned down to block her strike, what he did not account for was her right fist hitting him square in the jaw and he recoiled with the blow.

Gail did not waste time checking if he was alright and forced the door open while he was in shock. She quickly found a chair to jam against the door handle and stared around the office with wonder, while she had the room to herself. She established quickly that Christie was not in here and quickly put her friend on the back burner, to take in what she could before Lucas inevitably found a way in.

The room had an air of danger about it, there were small symbols carved in certain parts of the wall and she had seen symbols like this previously. There was no denying now that the Wicca Store she was obsessed with in Goat Town belonged to Lucas' Mother, so it was not surprising that she would bring her work home with her. Gail slowly paced the room and ran her fingers over the old furnishings, she felt at ease in here and she could not explain why.

Suddenly the door crashed open, then Lucas walked in and ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation.

Gail saw the look of indignation in his eyes and softened her manner. 'You really shouldn't go around kicking in doors of such an old property sweetheart' she smiled sweetly, then took a few steps back when he lunged for her.

Lucas had had enough of her disobedience and pushed her hard against a large bookcase; however, he felt a barrier come between them and he was forced to release his grip on her.

Gail sensed the invisible barrier and stared at him curiously, he looked as shocked as she was by the sudden interference and she could sense his fury rising to the service. Before he had a chance to react to the situation, she buried her own annoyance with him and pushed him onto his Mothers desk, then lifted up her long skirt and straddled him.

Lucas felt his rage lessen slightly and his desire took hold when she climbed on top of him, then a sudden unexpected feeling of guilt came over him. This was not an emotion he was used to experiencing and he did not like the way it made him feel.

Gail sensed his guilt and let out a small laugh when she realised what was bothering him. 'You really expect me to believe that you never fantasised about doing anything in Mommy's forbidden room?' she teased, then reached for his hands and placed them under her skirt on her behind.

Lucas thought for a moment, then shook off the guilt he was feeling. This had always been a forbidden place, even for him; however, his Mother was dead and he was the Master of this house. 'Your attitude has certainly changed, you gave up on that wretch you call a friend mighty quick' he stated intentionally hurtful, then wrapped her thong around his fingers and ripped it off.

Gail knew he was hiding his rage and thought better of testing him in this area of the property; therefore, she continued to smile sweetly and ripped open his shirt. 'I've not given up on a thing lover and when I find her, if you have done something that you shouldn't, you'll see a side of me you didn't know existed' she warned, then wrapped her legs around him when he picked her up and slammed her against the bookcase again.

Lucas was happy to see that the strange force, which had interfered with him earlier, had disappeared. He sensed they were alone and he was in control; therefore, he released his manhood and thrust it into her hard.

Gail held him tight and let out a pained moan at his entry, then relaxed into the movements when he began to thrust in and out of her. He may not have sensed the presence still in the room; however, she did and she did not want to draw his attention to it. She allowed him to take her hard and tried to block out the judgemental laughter of her Father in her mind. Lucas' presence here indicated she had been on to something and she knew deep down that Christie was not alright. She needed to ensure that she was strong and appeared to remain devoted to him, to enable herself to uncover what was going on.

Lucas sensed her attempt to strengthen her guard and his her true intentions; therefore, he pulled out of her, dragged her to the floor and turned her on all fours. 'This is how it should be always, with and Emory on their knees' he whispered mockingly, then began to pound in and out of her.

Gail bit her lip to stop herself from protesting to this attempt at humiliation. She knew he thought more of her than a slave on her knees; therefore, this play was clearly an attempt to make her lose control and show her hand. She would not let that happen and allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of him inside of her, regardless of how demeaning he pretended this act was.

She called out when he exploded within her, then forced him to the floor and straddled him again. 'This is how it will be...always' she whispered, knowing exactly what he yearned from her and placed him gently inside of her.

Lucas was about to take control, until her slow movements started and the bursts of pleasure surged through him. He had not expected her to take his previous action so well and the tactic she had chosen to repay him was surprising. Lucas leaned back as she rode him slowly and watched as she let out her aroused moans loudly, knowing they would not be disturbed. His Mother would have punished him severely, had she have known he would tarnish one of her sacred places in this way; however, this was as close to an act of love that he could ever be capable of experiencing and it did not feel like sacrilege with his current partner in crime.

Gail sensed his guard dropping and sped up her movements slightly, she was ready to let go and smiled when she felt him tense under her as his orgasm came. She bit her lip to stifle her call, to enable her to hear him fully and laughed when he called out her name in ecstasy as he completely let go.

Lucas sat up carefully and looked up into her eyes, then kissed her passionately. He could sense her concern for Christie and truly he did not know why she wasted her time with these simpletons; however, he did not like to see her worried and although she would learn her true place here with him, he would have to deal with her misguided feelings towards others. 'Your son misses you' he whispered, after they had broken free from their embrace.

Gail ran her nose gently over his affectionately, sensing her was attempting to distract her. 'My son is a newborn, he misses the milk I provide' she smiled, then placed a soft kiss on his lips.

Lucas ran his hands up her body and squeezed her breasts gently. 'Maybe I do too' he smiled devilishly and started to unbutton her cardigan.

Gail took hold of his hands in hers and ran her lips over them teasingly, before staring deep into his eyes. 'Did you do something here Lucas?' she asked seriously and watched him carefully.

Lucas inhaled deeply and placed a soft kiss on her lips. 'This wasn't me Gail' he said honestly and smiled when she let out a sigh of relief.

Gail nipped at his lips playfully, then stood up and began fixing her skirt. 'I suppose it's about time to go to my son who misses me' she smiled, then gave him a playful wink when she started to leave his Mother's office.

She had searched his eyes and there was no evidence of a lie; however, she knew he had not given her the full truth. As this was not Lucas, it only left Caleb who she was not sure was capable, or had the stupidity, to act on his new found feelings.

It was time to play the good housewife now and see to her family; however, she would get to the bottom of this soon and she prayed for all involved that her friend was alright.

-The End-


End file.
